Tie plate



Mm w, m@ R. J. LLOYD www TIEPLATE Filed Feb. 5, 1945 2 *Sheets-Sheet l J4 21' l i ,/0 qll', Z2 f f www l/1217115 werft/la d @www March w, w. R. J. LLOYD 2,39%@23 TIE-PLATE Filed Feb. 3, v1945 2 sheetssneet 2 Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFIC TIE PLATEA Robert J. Lloyd, Arnngton, va. Application February s, 1945, serial-No. 576,037

5 Claims. Y (ol. 23S- 283) This invention relates to a novel tie-plate for use in the securing ofV railroad and like rails to cross-ties.

It has long been the practice to employ steel tie-plates between the rail and cross-ties to dis- 5 tribute the stress, resulting from the passage of trains over'the rails, throughout a greater area of the cross-tie', than that represented bythe botcross-tie when a conventional steel tie-plate is employed.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a y stress diagram .of the stresses imparted to a crosstom or base flange of the rail-itself. This prac- ,c

tice has been resorted to with a view to reducing the liability of cutting the wood fibers of Athe cross-tie, thereby rendering the cross-tie in time unt for use. At the present time the life of cross-ties is determined very largely by factors of mechanical Wear rather than by physical decay.

It is one of the broad objects of the presentinvention to provide a novell resilient tie-plate adapted to extend the life of cross-ties as governed by mechanical wear to be commensurate with their life as governed by physical decay.-

The present invention is unique in that it provides a proper distribution of load stresses, re-

sulting from passage of the trains, in the crossstructed as to function not merely as a reinforce- K. 3 5

ment, but as an active element to distribute the load stresses, resulting from the passage of trains,

to the cross-ties in such manner as to minimize the cutting of bers and mechanical wear.

The invention will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which: V

Figure 1 is a top plan view with partsy broken away showing the position of the novel tie-plate in relation to a rail and cross-tie. v

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 2l-2 of Figure 1, illustrating the position of the tie-plate' When not under load, I

Figure 3 is a detail View of the deformed metal insert employed in the molded rubber tie-plate. Figure 4 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the stress diagram of the stresses imparted to acrosstie when no tie-plate is used. Y

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating tie when a conventional reinforced rubber tieplate is employed.

' Figurel 7 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a stressv diagram of the stresses imparted to a cross-tie employing a tie-plate of the present invention.

Figure- 8 is an enlarged view showing in full lines' the position of the rail and the elements of thetie-plate when in unstressed condition, and illustrating in dotted lines the position assumed bythe rail and the elements of the tie-plate when under load,

Referring to Figure 1, the reference character I0 illustrates a conventional cross-tie for supporting the conventional rail I I. The tie-plate of the instant invention is indicated generally by the reference character I2, and comprises the vulcanizedrubber block I3 which may be molded from natural, synthetic or reclaimed rubber, or any suitabler combination of them, to appropriate shapefor application to different sizes and sections of railroad rails. Itis to be understood that vthe stress diagram of the stresses imparted to-a Se Vthe term rubber as used herein is employed generally to embrace the various forms of natural, Vsynthetic and reclaimed rubber. The tie-plate I2 has `four openings therethrough, indicated generally at I4, to accommodate the conventional railroad. spikes I5 employed to hold the rail I Il i-n position on the cross-tie Iii. The openingsld are such as to permit relatively free movement of the tie-plate I2 with respect to the spikes I'5.` ini assuming the position occupied thereby when under load. There is embedded in the. vulcanized rubber block I3 a load distributing metal Aplate I6, The central portion I'I of this plate is ofa Width substantially that of the base flange of the rail with which the plate is to be associated.v The side portions I3 and I9 extending parallel Ywith the rail are deecte'd downwardly so that together with the central portion I1 they provide .a lower recessed'are'a Within which a substantial body of the molded rubber lies as indicated at 20.

In Figure 2 the load distributing plate I6 is apertured or slotted as indicated at ZI to accommodate the spikes I5; The molded rubber block -I3' is preferably so formed that the side portions thereof extend upwardly at an angle from the Vcross-tie as indicated` at 22 and 23 in Figure 2. These angles'on'the-bottom surface of the molded 'rubben'plate' are important in that they are used in -conjunction\ with-` thev embedded deformed cross-tie life,

metal plate I6 todistribute the load stresses over a greater area of the cross-tie than would be possible without a tie-plate or by use of a tie-plate reinforced only against crushing or flattening, and in a far more suitably graduated manner than is possible through the use of a steel tie-plate alone.

Referring to Figures 4 to 7, it will be observed when a rail is used on a cross-tie without a tieplate, as indicated in Figure 4, the stresses are substantially straight line stresses.' and tend to cut the fibers along lines parallel to the sideedge's'v of the base ange of the rail.

a greater area of the cross-tie, but they still are' When a steel tieplate is used, the stresses are merely distributed to extent of the rail length which bends under trame load resulting from the suspension of the rail on the resilient deformable tie-plates, .thus lessening the tendency toward fatigue, transverse fissures, and consequent broken rails; reduction of shock to rolling stock and locomotives; lessening of noise, particularly Where tracks are on ele-v y"in each instance to suit the proper transtie plate is used the stresses are still substantially straight line stresses, and are not distributed to as great an area ofthe cross-tie as ,whemadsteel tie-plate is employed. The diagrammatic illustrations of Figure 6 substantiallyrepre" ritthe type of stress diagram ,produced when-.using a flexible tie-plate reinforced against flattening and distortion. V M

l In accordance with the present inventionavcertain amount of distortion under load is contemplated and provided for.- Advantage is taken of this distortion feature to. distribute thegload stresses to the cross-trieV in a gradual mannerjto minimize cutting action and mechanical rupture thereof. j` The form of stress diagram shown in Figure diagrammatically illustratestheA mannerin which the load stresses,1 are distributedto the cross-tie when tie-plates of the present invention are employed.V t l Figure illustrates the action of the tie-plate of the present invention and shows the unstressed configuration thereof in full lines; When a load .is placed onthe rail resulting from the passage of rolling stock thereover, the deformed metal plate I6, embedded in therubber block I3 assumes substantially the dotted line position shown in Figure 8. It will also be observed that the plate I6 offers substantial resistance to the lateral expansion of .that portion of the rubber indicated at Xlocated beneath the platek I6. As the rubber at X lexpands laterally, the wings or marginal side portions' I8 and I9 of the plate I6 areforced to move outward ,and upward .around their, respective lines of junction with the mid-portion I1.` This action, combined with the angles atthe bottom of Vthe tie-plate indicated at 22 Vand 23; serves to distribute the downward vstress ito Vthe cross-tiev through the plate Iii` and expanded rubber at X in such fashion that there `is a gradual building up of the stresses in the cross-tie from the portions thereof lying beneath the side edges of the tie-plate to that portion thereof lyingv beneath the ,center of the tie-plate. The distributionof load stresses in this manner very effectively reduces the tendency of the load to cut the fibers of the cross-tie, and contributesfmaterially to a reduction Ain mechanical wear` and lengthening. of

' The advantages of the invention, inaddition to `the lengthening of cross-tie life due to lessening of mechanical wear, may be summarized as follows:

Reduction ofwear on the roadbed due to the ab,

sorption of combined impactv and weight loads in pari-Hin the resilient tie plates; 'reduction of socalled mud pumping Vby crossfties because of lessenlng'wthe vertical rnotionpfl the cross-tie, under load; ylengthening ofV rail life due to increasing the mission of stresses for the size and weight ofrails v with which the tie plates may be employed. Likewise, the quantity and character .of-the jrubber employed in producing the tie plate may be varied to meet the particular requirements as to load and rail size. It is within the contemplationof the .invention -to provide the deformedmetal platewith multiple apertures.. as shown in Fig. 3 and/or with a coating orbonding cementto insure a `Vclose and uniform ybonqiLbetween the same; and the rubber of the molded block.. n v

. While the term cross-tie has been .used in. this specification to denote .primarily a wooden crosstie, such as generally used in railway track construction, itis Vnot desired to limit. the invention touse `ofathe, `.tie-plate Iwith suchla cross-tie, While the advantages concerned `with longer cross-tie life are derived primarily rwhen wooden Icross-ties, `are used, many of the other advantages are :securedwhen` cross-ties ,of votherrnaterialsI such as steel, reinforced concretel and the like, areemployed.- Obviously, when used with steel'or concrete cross-ties, the tieplateof this invention isI-'securedthereto'through the medium of bolts l or other suitable means. l

It istefbe'understood that the foregoing specivcation isgivenby way of explanation' and notfi'n limitation of theinvention which is comprehended ,bygthef-subjoined Lclaims.Y i ,;W-'hat I,claimis: f .l v ,i l f A. tie-plate comprising' 'a load-distributing .metall plate embedded in a block of lmolded l.rubber, ,saidA metal plate? havinga ilat Vcentralfpbrtion and a pair-onlyvof downwardly, deecting side portions Y extending-Lparallel with. the side edges of the,rail,base-withV which the plate is associated said deflectin'gside portions being so sha-perlethat.undervload the.. plate offers resistance to-,the lateral expansion'of that portionY of .therubber blockfbeneath it, andl serves -to dis'- tribute vthe downward stress-"tothe cross-.'tiefin suchmanner thatthe stress in the cros'si-.tiegradually. increases fromrthe side r'edges .off the tieplateto a point belowthe center linethereof.

r 2*.V A Vtief'plate k,comprising` a'. ,load-'distributing metal plate embedded in and surrounded ,byla Vbloei; of` vmolded rubber, the two s'idefportions 'only 0f Said vmetal;ipledeg.brins ydeflecteddevi/ 1,1- wardly and the mid-'portion pfsaidplate having ,a width substantiallymaior.ingentes@ with distribute the'downwardfstress to the cross-tie.

.32 Av tie-plate/comprising a block of molded frubber. having a load-distributing metal 'rplate embedded therein and surroundedftherebyl' said vload -distributing plate embracing a' central 'portion whichjthroughout its' extentis in substantial parallelism with the top and bottom faces of the molded rubber block, and a pair of side portions only of said metal plate being deected downwardly from said central portion, whereby said plate offers resistance t0 the lateral expansion of the rubber of the block beneath it and serves to distribute the downward stress to the cross-tie.

4. A tie-plate comprising a molded block of rubber having embedded therein and surrounded thereby a metal plate, said metal plate embracing a central portion having a width substantially equal to that oil the rail base with which the tie-plate is to lbe associated, and marginal side portions deflected downwardly from said central plate, the lower face of said rubber block when in unstressed condition having upwardly inclined marginal edges.

5. A tie-plate comprising a molded block of rubber having embedded therein and surrounded thereby a metal plate, said metal plate embracing a central portion having a width substantially equal to that of the rail base with which the tieplate is to be associated, and marginal side portions deflected downwardly from said central plate, the lower face of said rubber block when in unstressed condition having upwardly inclined marginal edges, and the upper face of said rubber block .being provided with longitudinal ribs positioned to lie in juxtaposition to the sides of a rail base with which the tie-plate is associated.

ROBERT J. LLOYD. 

